The bagel arrived in America at the turn of the century. In New York around 1910 the bagel "industry" had a Bagel Bakers Local #338. Apprentices spent months learning the trade. Workers were paid 19 cents a box which contained 64 bagels. Popularity of the bagel spread beyond ethnic neighborhoods. In the early 60's bagels sold for 7 cents each. Now, bagel sales are approaching one billion dollars a year and are being called the "teddy bear of foods". However, this "teddy bear" can bite. Slicing a bagel by hand can result in very serious cuts to the hand. This has created the need for a safe and easy way to slice bagels, especially in the home. Hence, there are a variety of apparatuses for slicing bagels. Yet, a need continues to exist for a bagel slicer that is simple in design, inexpensive to own, and safe and easy to use.
A prior art device for slicing bagels is found in Apparatus for Slicing a Food Article of Ricard and Cann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,078 issued Jul. 11, 1995. Ricard et al discloses a two part device. The bottom member holds the bagel and the top member contains a guillotine type knife. The top member slides down over the bottom member slicing the bagel. There is no provision to center the bagel in the bottom member. If the bagel doesn't fill the width of the bottom member, the bagel can be tipped off center with the cut not being parallel to the top and bottom of the bagel. The blade in the top member is fixed and is very sharp and needs frequent cleanings. This is due to the various food flavoring accents added to the bagel mix. These additives remain moist and sticky even after being cooked. Accordingly, one or both halves of the bagel can become stuck to the blade upon completion of the slicing cycle. The problem now becomes how to remove the bagel halves from the top member without getting cut. This is a flawed design because the probability of being cut is very real.
Additionally, the bagel Slicer by Milo M. Keasrue, U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,666 issued Nov. 8, 1994, illustrates a tool that has to be adjusted in order to slice a bagel into two pieces. Another adjustment is needed to go from two slices to three slices. Yet another adjustment is needed to go from three slices to slice a bagel into four pieces. This tool is complicated, cumbersome, heavy and expensive to own.
Other patents that offer a device for slicing bagels are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,078; U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,666; U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,505; U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,331; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,686. These patents additionally disclose devices which are problematic in their use and/or expensive to manufacture or own. Accordingly, a bagel slicer is needed which is easy to use and inexpensive to own. The slicer should be able to accommodate different sized foodstuffs and still achieve a centered slice. Also, the device should offer the additional ability to perform multiple slices of the bagel or bun.